Cohesive ceiling-floor



UNITED; vSTATES PATIENT OEEICE.

RAFAEL GUASTAVINO, JR., OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

COHESIVE CEILING-FLOOR.v

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 466,536, dated January5,1892.

Application iled March 11, 1891. Renewed December 10, 1891. Serial No.414,552. (No model.)

Y.To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, RAFAEL GUAsTAvINo, .I r., a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Boston, in the county of Suolk and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inOohesive Ceiling-Floors, of which the vfollowing is a specification.

My invention yrelates to certain improvements in the construction ofthefloors and ceilings of buildings, more particularly fireproofbuildings.

The improvements maybe incorporated into buildings of all descriptions,such as dwellings, shool-houses, warehouses, factories, (he.

The object I have in view is to produce a cohesive ceiling-floor whichshall be f1rep roof and not liable to be detrimentally affected by anyof the incidents of a fire, and which shall possess maximum strengthwith minimum Weight v A further object is to render the structureself-deafening, so that sounds occurring in one apartment may not beheard in the apartments above or below.

A further object is to devise a composite sleeper possessing certainadvantages and certain peculiarities of construction. l

One of the disadvantages attending the erection of flat ceilings as theyare now constructed is the necessity for the employment of so manydifferent kinds of workmanship thus calling for the exercise of severaldifferent trades, such as archbuilding with hollow bricks and the like,the art of concreting, and the wood-work, where the finished floor isintended to be Wooden. In floor-ceilings embodying concrete-work and`wooden sleepers it is always a difficult. and inconvenient task tosecure the sleepers in place on the concrete so as to prevent themovement of the elements ofthe structure during or after thecompletionof the same. A serious drawback to this character of structureembodying a concrete base and wooden sleepers secured thereto is thefact that wood is subject to dry rot. The permanency of such aconstruction cannot, therefore,be depended upon, and a furf therobjection is the great weight and thickness of the structure,deemedessential under the common modes of constructing this type of door andceiling.

I overcome the several inconveniences above enumerated by thepeculiarities of construction described herein, wherein there areemployed'sleeper-supporting T-iron rods acting in conjunction withI-beams in one embodiment of the invention, and in another embodimentarched sleeper-supports"co-operating with T-iron tie-rod, likewiseacting in conjunction with I-beams having their abutments in the sidewalls of the building. The sleeper-supporting rods and archedsleepersupports serve to tie the beams together, while at the same timesustaining the weight of the material of the ceiling. The T-iron rodsare incased in jackets of fire-clay, the rods and jackets beingpermanently secured together by means of cement, and thewooden sleepers,over which the ooring is laid, resting on the top surfaces of suchre-clay jackets and fixed `in place by metallic pins passing through thesleepers and embeddedv in the cement surrounding the T iron rods withinsaid jackets. The wooden sleepers have thus a firm foundation to restupon, and in conjunction With the fire-clay jackets enveloping thetie-rods form the principal element of the structure. I have shown theWooden sleepers secured to the fire-clay jackets by long anchors orbolts of metal. This combined fire-clay, wood, iron, and cement sleeperprovides a rigid support for the ceiling and floor elements of theconstruction which possesses great strength and permanency. Theconstruction of my composite sleeper also possesses the advantage thatall the elements of which it is composed-iron, cement, fire-clay, andwood-work according to their most favorable conditions, eachcontributing directly to strengthen the ceiling. I thus produce a lightstructure possessing a high degree of strength.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, andwherein like 9 features are indicated by like letters of reference inthe several views, Figure l is a longitudinal sectional view, partly inelevation, of a structure embodying my invention, showing theapplication of the sleeper-supporting IOO T-iron rods in a ceiling-floorIlat on both surfaces. Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. l, thesleeper-supports being arched, this view embodying the same elements asFig. l, but arranged or disposed differently, thus giving to thestructure a slightly-arched conguration on the ceilingsurface andgreater strength than in the construction 'of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is atransverse section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail showingthe construction of the fire-clay jacket surrounding the T-iron rod, themanner of securing the wooden sleeper to said jacket, and the relationof the iioor and ceiling material to the aforesaid elements; and Fig. 5is a detail, on an enlarged scale, of one of the I-beams and thefire-clay jacket surrounding its lower ianges.

Referring to the drawings, a a indicate iron beams of smallsection,preferablyin the form of I-beams. These beams extend between thewalls of the building and may, if deemed nec` essary, have intermediatesupports between such walls.

b h indicate T-iron tie-rods of small section having a wide lowerIiange. These tie-rods are bolted to angle-irons c, secured to the beamsa, and extend between the beams a, thus serving to tie said beamstogether.

In Fig. l the point of attachment of the Te iron tie-rods b to the beamsa is just beneath the upper flanges of said beams, and in this view thetie-rods are not straight, but are bowed downwardly, as indicated.

In Fig. 2 the T-iron tie-rodsb are secured to beams a about midwaybetween their anges and extend between the beams in a straight line,instead of being bowed, as in Fig. l. In both these views, Figs. l and2, the T-iron tie-rods b work by tension to sustain the weight of thestructure.

I incase the T-iron tie-rods b in jackets of fire-clay material d ofsuch outer contiguration aswill best adapt them to support the ceilingmaterial and to furnish the required foundation for the wooden sleepersc` to rest upon. As shown in the drawings, these jack.- et-s d are iiatat the bottom, have sloping sides, and are open at the top. They aremade in short sections to facilitate handling. They are large enoughinteriorly to receive a sulficient quantity of cement f to secure theinclosed T-iron tie-rod and jacket together, and thus permanently fixthem in proper relative position to each other. The jackets CZ areformed open at top to facilitate the insertion of the cement f and topermit of the passage into the cement of the long nails g, secured tothe wooden sleepers e, as seen in the drawings. The top edges of thejackets d are fiat to provide a good seating surface for the woodensleepers e, and when said sleepers are thus placed, with the nails g orother anchoring means projecting into the cementwithin the jackets, apositively-rigid foundation for the sleepers is provided, and when thecement has fully set the connection between the said iire-clayfoundation and the wooden sleepers is an effectual and permanent one.

The fire-clay jackets cl extend the entire length of the tie-rods I) andabut at their ends against the sides of the beams a., and thus said claymaterial, which works by compres-` sion, will brace between beams andstrengthen the supporting function of the tie-rods Z1, which are workingby tension.

In both Figs. l and 2 the sleepers e are of such thickness as to bringtheir top surfaces on a level with the top iianges of the beams a orhigher, if necessary, and they may be beveled at their ends to conformto the shape of the under surface of such flanges and thus provide aneat and secure pointof connection between beam and sleeper. In Fig. l,the top surface of jackets (l being straight, the sleepers e lie incontact with said jackets their entire length, while in Fig. 2 thearched form of the inelosing jackets prevents the sleepers from restingin contact throughout their length with the said jackets. At and neartheir ends where the sleepers and jackets are not in contact theintervening space' is filled in with cement h, as shown.

rlhe ceiling-tiles i-there being preferably two courses-are laid inpanels in cement between the fire-clay jackets d and the beams a, theouter surface of the finishing course of said tiles z' being flush withthe bottom surface of said jackets, as best seen in Fig. 'lhe edges ofthe tiles t', where they come in contact with the jackets d, are beveledor sloped to conform to the slope of the walls of said jackets, thusfurnishing support to the ceiling.

The lower flanges of the beams a, which depend below the ceiling, areprotected and concealed by means of ire-clay shoes 7a of peculiar form.These shoes are made in sections and are provided with overlappinglianges, as seen in Fig. 5, the joints between said flanges when theshoes are broughtl together Abeing made of cement or plaster. Theseshoes k are of suiicient height to completely cover all of the beamsbelow-the ceiling, or finishing-pieces n, of fire-clay, may be insertedbetween the shoes and ceiling-tiles, if preferred, as seen in thedrawings, Figs. 1 and 3. The floor of wood Z is laid over the sleepers eand upon the iianges of the beams a and secured in place by nailing thesame to the sleepers.

By the above-described construction spaces are provided over the ceilingand beneath the floor, by which means the ceiling-floor is renderedself-deafening, as will be readily understood. Then the ceiling is builtof linishing-tiles, it will of course require no plastering or otherdecoration, and is therefore an economical construction. It is alsoplain that myconstruetion has the merit of simplicity, and, embodyingcomparatively a small amount of material, is light in Weight. Theconstruction permits me to dispense with the IOO IIO

- sacrificing strength or stability.

One advantage of my invention is that -all the parts essential in theerection of the ceiling-floor, including the composite sleeper embodyingiron, clay, and wood, may be constructed at the shops or factory andbrought to the building in complete condition tobe put in place, thusavoiding the delays and other drawbacks incidentto the usual modes ofceiling and iioor construction when the same is required to be performedin inclement weather.

I-Iaving thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a cohesive ceiling-door, the combination, with longitudinalmetallic beams of small section supported between the walls of thebuilding and metailic T-iron rods extending between said beams andserving to tie and brace the same together, of fire-clay jacketsinclosing said T-iron rods and wooden sleepers resting on and anchoredto said fire-clay jackets, substantially as set forth.

2. In a cohesive ceiling-licor, the combination,with longitudinalmetallic beams of small section supported between the walls of thebuilding and metallic T-iron rods extending between said beams andserving to tie and brace the same together, of fire-clay jackets open attop and inclosing said T-iron rods and lled with cement,wherebytheinclosed T-iron rods are iixed in proper position within the jackets,wooden sleepers resting on the top surfaces of the {ire-clay jackets,and anchors or similar devices secured to said sleepers and projectinginto the cement within the tire-clay jackets, substantially as setforth.

3.*In a cohesive ceiling-door, the combination,with longitudinalmetallic beams of small section supported between the walls of thebuilding and metallic T-iron rods bolted to said beams below their upperfianges and extending between the beams, of fire-clay jackets inclosingsaid T- iron rods throughout their entire length, and wooden sleeperssupported on and anchored to said fire-clay jackets and of a thicknessto bring their top surfaces about on a level with the upper flanges ofthe supporting-beams, the ends of such sleepersbeveled and fitting undersuch upper flanges of the beam, substantially as set forth.

4. In a cohesive ceiling-door, the combination,with longitudinalmetallic beams of small section supported between the walls ofthebuilding, a'series of metallic T-iron rods extending between said beamsand serving to tie the same together, and fire-clay jackets inclosingsaid T- iron rods, of wooden sleepers resting on and anchored to thetire-clay jackets and serving to give support to a wooden floor passingover the upper flanges of the aforesaid beams, and a ceiling of thintiles laid in panels in cementbetween said fire-clay jackets andsupporting-beams, the exposed surface of the ceiling being flush withthe bottom surfaces of said tire-clay jackets, substantially as setforth.

5. In a cohesive ceiling-licor, the combination, with longitudinalbeamsof small section supported between the walls of the building, metallicT'-iron rods extending between said beams'and serving to tie the sametogether, and iireclay jackets inclosing said T-iron rods, of woodensleepers resting on and secured to the fire-clay jackets and givingsupport to a Wooden floor passing over the upper fianges of the beams, aceiling of thin tiles laid in panels in cement between said fire-clayjackets and supporting-beams, and fire-clay shoes concealing andprotecting such portions of the supporting-beams, including their lowerianges, as depend below the tiling of the ceiling, substantially as setforth.

6. In a cohesive ceiling-floor, the combination, with longitudinal beamsof small section supported between the walls of the building, metallicT-iron rods extending between said beams and bolted thereto about midwaybetween their flanges, and curved or arched jackets of re-clay inclosingsaid T-iron rods and anchored thereto by cement lling, of woodensleepers supported on and anchored to the arched fire-clay jackets, andconcrete filling placed between said jackets and sleepers contiguous tothe supporting-beams, substantially as set forth.

7. In a cohesive ceiling-floor, the combination, with longitudinal beamssupported betweenthe walls of the building and metallic T-iron rodsextending between the beams and bolted thereto and serving to tie saidbeams together, of fire-clay jackets inclosing said T- iron rods andfirmly connected therewith by cement filling and provided with fiat topand bottom surfaces and beveled sides, a ceiling of thin tiles laid inpanels in cement between the said fire-clay jackets and beams, the edgesof the tiles in contact with the jackets sloped or beveled to conform tothe sloping sides of the jackets, and sleepers of wood supported uponand anchored to the aforesaid fire-clay jackets, substantially as setforth.

S. The combination, with the supportingbeams and the floor and ceiling,of a series of T-iron rods extending between beams and incased in andanchored to re-clay jackets whose bottom surfaces are iiush with theexposed surface of the ceiling, and a series of wooden sleepers restingon and anchored to the top surfaces of I the aforesaid fire-clay jacketsand furnishing support to the floor passing over the upper flanges ofthe supporting-beams, substantially as set forth.

9. A composite sleeper for use in the construction of ceiling-doorsoffire-proof buildings, consisting of a metallic T-iron rod inclosedwithin a jacket of fire-clay, said jacket and T-iron rod secured inproper relation to each otherbyalling of cement, and a wooden sleeperresting on the top of said fire-clay IOO ISO

io clay jacket and anchored to the same by nails or like devicesinserted in the sleeper and embedded in said cement filling Within thefireclay jacket, substantially as set forth.

Signed at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts,this 3d day of 15 March, A. ID. 1891.

RAFAEL Witnesses:

WILLIAM E. BLoDeETT,

FRIEDRICH SoHLNs.

GUASTAVINO, J R.

